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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. prune — to trim
  8. current — happening now
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pass — a permit
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. row — a line
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rush — hurry
  16. prune — to trim
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. mine — for digging
  22. current — of water
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. current — electric

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com